Ellie Brush goes through the moment in her head before delving into the details.
“The ball was coming right to my head and I knew I had to control it and bring it down on my chest,” Brush says.
“I had to bounce it up and got calls for man-on and I knew our very speedy winger, Nat Exon, was running down the wing.
“So I thought, I’ve got to get this to her somehow.”
The moment the Box Hill United midfielder is reminiscing about, occurred in Round 3 of the Sportsmart Women’s Premier League game against Cairnlea FC.
With her United side leading one-nil a long ball is huffed into the centre of the pitch.
In the midst of the packed midfield, Brush times her run perfectly.
With her back towards goal, the ball lands on her chest. Flicking it up, she somehow notices Natalie Exon breaking in behind the Cairnlea defence, through the corner of her eye and a field of players.
And then she pulls off the “moment”; a piece of footballing magic.
With the ball in mid-air, Brush bicycle kicks it. But this is no random hoof. It is the perfect ball.
It completely splits through the Cairnlea defence and comes right to very foot of Exon. The pass is so divinely executed that the winger finds herself one-one-on with the keeper and only needs to slide the ball into the net to seal the match.
In that one move, Brush’s technical abilities, physical presence and mental edge are all nicely wrapped up.
Yet it’s only a mere highlight of the defender-turned-midfielder’s spectacular start to her Box Hill United career since joining for the long off-season break from W-League team Canberra United.
It was a move that she “fell into” thanks to a handful of friends who play for United. But it’s one that she is delighted to have made.
“I’m loving playing the game, it’s a great bunch of girls, a good coach and a bit of a new position for me, which I’m enjoying,” she said.
That positional change has been one of the reasons for United’s table-topping start to the season.
Known as a defender for Canberra United, she has been re-deployed as deep-lying playmaker. Dictating play at the base of midfield, Brush has become one of the most instrumental clogs in the Box Hill machine.
In six games this season, she has accumulated two assists and three goals, including a 35-yard stunner. But it’s her ability to break down opposition attacks and launch her own with pinpoint accuracy that has seen her become the hub point for United’s creative activity.
It was a move that progressed organically and one that she’s thriving on.
“We needed the midfield strengthened a bit more, [and] I mentioned how I wouldn’t mind playing wherever the coach wanted me to and he said, we’re thinking more midfield to plug that hole,” she said.
“[I’m] enjoying being on the ball more and being able to provide a bit of a link between defence and midfield.
“I’m sort of used to starting an attack and really I’m still trying to do that – get the ball early and look to feed our team going forward.”
As mentioned, Brush’s great start to the season has not just been down to tactical changes, but the strong team culture and environment at Box Hill.
“You can hear everyone laughing in the background and there’s a very good spirit in the group,” she said.
“There’s a really good club culture. We have dinners every week, and hang out socially as a team.”
As for coach Matthew Shaw, the inaugural Winning Edge Presentations Coach of the Month winner, the W-League defender has nothing but praise for the gaffer.
“He does his homework, which has been really good because I don’t have much information about any of the teams, obviously as I’ve come into the competition for the first time,” Brush said.
“Matt’s a nice guy, easy to get along with and he’s really professional. He’s got us all keen to win and to play good football, which is the main thing really.
“We don’t speak at all about the results, it’s all about playing good football.”
Brush feels that the attitude to playing style is the difference between the W-League and the WPL. The short-form of the W-League means it’s about results and “not necessary doing it in a pretty way”, despite “Canberra playing good football”.
At the local level it’s all about “developing players” and taking time to grow the squad.
Photo: Emily Mogic Photography
But does her experience in Australia’s top women’s division mean there’s an extra level of expectation and pressure on her to perform and in a way, lead the team?
“I suppose there is,” she said.
“But it’s nice as I haven’t really felt that internally from the club, so they’ve let me do my own thing.
“We got very experienced and established players, Georgia Koutrouvelis and Bubs [Melissa Barbieri]. They’ve been at Box Hill for a decade, so I’ve liked taking a bit of a back seat in the team environment.
“So it’s been more in training and on field. Just giving advice when I can, to individual players and trying to coach them a bit to help them out.”
You can see that in the flesh. Brush is a commanding presence on the pitch, instructing her teammates with unwavering commitment. She has become the backbone of a very dangerous Box Hill United team hell-bent on claiming the title.
And if there is external pressure on her to perform and lead the team to glory, Brush doesn’t seem too fazed; she’s already delivering on a silver platter.
Featured image: Matt Johnson